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For Chris Leben, Saturday night can make or break his fighting career. A win would put Leben back into the fold of the crowded UFC middleweight division. A loss could very well signal the end of Leben's current run in the UFC. With new endeavourers ahead of him, Leben will look to take care of business against fellow Ultimate Fighter alumni Kalib Starnes.
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Reliable sources have told sherdog.com that the deal is now finalized!
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"On March 27, Station Casinos Vice Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC President Dana White announced in a Tokyo press conference that the sale of the PRIDE Fighting Championships to Zuffa had been agreed upon, and that the deal would be consummated on May 1.
Yet three weeks after the consummation date, the deal was slow to close, as Zuffa attorneys did their due diligence on PRIDE assets. In a conference call with the media on Thursday,White denied that the deal had been closed.
However, two sources tell Sherdog.com that the deal has in fact been finalized, and that former PRIDE CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara has said as much too former DSE employees in the last 48-hours.
Citing Issues with several PRIDE fighter contracts, on Wednesday MMAWeekly.com reported that there is a class action lawsuit on behalf of PRIDE fighters looking to get out of their contracts. White, in a conversation with the media on Thursday afternoon, denied any knowledge of the dispute."
Josh Gross, Sherdog.com

Shogun Interview (Translation from a Sherdogger)
There are some rumors that you are going to fight in UFC 72. There is anything certain about that?
I signed with Pride and UFC. I'm waiting them set up where and when i'll fight. From now it's just rumors that i'm going to fight in UFC 72, but i hope this happen. I'm training, i'm ready to fight.
Who is going to win in UFC 71, Lidell or Jackson?
Liddell has improved, but i put my money on Quinton. I think he is going to use his ground n' pound. He has a good gnp and strikes when he is standing. So i think Quinton will win.
Would you like to face someone of them?
Absolutely. My goal for this year is the belt, Pride or UFC, wherever. And if one of them holding the belt, i wanna face them.
You followed the last Fury Fc, who is the best name to win the 83kg GP?
Daniel Acacio and Toquinho, definitely. Both are improving a lot and they are the most skilled. But i think everyone can win this GP. In a fight suprises can happen.
Do you think it's going to be hard to adapt to UFC rules?
I don't think so. I fought twice under this rules and it didn't affect me. I fought Alistair and Randleman under this rules and there were no problems.
What do you think about Napão victory over Cro Cop?
He is excellente and he has all the necessary to take the belt.. Everyone knew he is better on the matt, but he surprised everyone with his standing game, nobody expected that. I think he is better than Couture. Couture has no weapons to beat Napao.
What about Wanderlei, he'll be back only in 2008?
We're training together and he is avaiable to fight for the events. If someone comes with a good offer, i think he fight this year. A fighter like him can't stay out of the ring.
What do you expect about your brother fight in EliteXC?
He is in his prime. No he can fight weighting 88kg. I think he is going to make an excelent fight and bring this belt.
source: tatame.com

If Josh Burkman seems to be one of the most well-adjusted fighters in the world when it comes to dealing with the trappings of fame, it’s not because he was just born with a gift; it’s because he’s dealt with the downside of being in the public eye already, and he’s lived to tell about it.
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UFC fighter Carmelo Marrero will look to get back on the winning track this weekend when he faces tough American Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia. Both Marrero and Gouveia are still relative newcomers to the UFC with only a combined 5 UFC fights between them, but each of these men are also at important places in their fight careers.
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Matt Serra's Ultimate Fighting Championship career was in jeopardy following the loss to Karo Parisyan at UFC 53. He didn't realize that loss would set in motion a series of events that would lead him to UFC gold.
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With a resemblance to Mike Tyson both facially and in build, the type of knockout power that made the former heavyweight boxing champion a superstar, and pre-fight proclamations of painful doom for his upcoming opponents, you could just chalk Terry Martin up as a stereotypical fighter.
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Chuck Liddell may not be Quinton Jackson when it comes to outrageous statements in interviews (who is?), but ‘The Iceman’ remains one of the fight game’s most fascinating figures, in and out of the Octagon, and a true icon of mixed martial
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